Wednesday, August 12, 2009

The QB situation from their own perspective.

So if you've looked at the variousarticles about the QB situation following the interviews with Napier and Swinney, you see neither of them have tipped their hand really, and this of course forces guys like Strelow and LW to interview the guys themselves to get some information.

Lets look at the facts first. Dabo has stated that BOTH will play, practice is NOT like a live game. Practice can be harder, and in Ford's days it was, but its still not showtime. ONE will win the job in practice, but he has to perform. Even if he does, the other guy will still see the field. I wouldnt be surprised, assuming we get a lead early, to see them play as much as a half each.

Both are going to make freshman-like mistakes. I don't care if you tell me theyre not true freshmen, they still will. Game experience is a different thing.

You heard last year, at this time, how our OL needed time to "gel" and half of TNet said it was retarded to say that. Well, you saw how smart that half of Tardnet was in the end. They didnt gel til after GT, injuries and coaching changes notwithstanding. We're bringing back the starters for the most part in the same places, so that will (HOPEFULLY) be ok.

The thing is, the QB and the WRs have to do the same thing. Timing is built between them, and a WR may not be able to catch a bullet from Parker but have no problem catching a lob touch-pass from Korn. Dye, Ford, and Ashe need to know who their #1 QB will be and form some rhythm together. They aren't getting that now. This is why a starter should be named soon. I'm all for giving each guy the shot, but you should name one for the sake of naming him, and then if things change during a game situation or game-week practice, then just change it. But you should at least give them a shot to form some rhythm on day 1 against MTSU.

Coach Swinney said this about it.

I think it’s best for the team and everyone involved to know who’s going to be starting against Middle Tennessee. You want to have the opportunity to really prepare as the starter. And that way, whoever has to prepare as the backup, prepares as the backup. At some point, that will have to work itself out. After one scrimmage, (I’m) just not ready to say this guy is a little bit ahead.

Willy Korn and Kyle Parker have also talked about it in interviews. Korn came into camp worried about mechanics and by Day 3 decided to change his outlook:

"I was like, 'Screw that,'" Korn said. "If I'm going to make mistakes, they're going to be mistakes from being aggressive."

"I'm not a guy to toot my own horn, but I've been practicing really well," he said. "I've just got to stay consistent and keep that aggressive mindset."

"It's just mindset and attitude, and trying to have that gunslinger mindset," he said. "I'm taking care of the ball, but I'm not afraid to make mistakes."

"The ball is coming out really well right now," he said. "I'm throwing really tight spirals. I feel like I've got a lot more pop on it these past few practices. I'm locating everything really well. I'm really happy with where I am right now. I've just got to keep it going."

"It's kind of difficult when you're kind of going with a different set of receivers every time we line up out there, different tight ends," he said after the spring game. "Because everybody has their strengths and weaknesses as far as running routes and how they run it.

"So it'd be nice to start jelling with a group of receivers you know you're going to be with. … I guess we'll see how it plays out. I'd like for a decision to be made sooner rather than later, just so you can work on your timing with the guys you're going to be playing with and not have to play musical chairs with centers so much."

Remember Dabo's comment about the botched snaps? This is why. The coaches are also screwing with the rotation to give all 4 QBs equal reps if possible.

"We've been battling back and forth," he said. "And it's not just me and Kyle. Mike (Wade) is throwing the crap out of the ball. Tajh (Boyd) is throwing the crap out of the ball. We've got a really, really talented unit at the quarterback position.

"We're all competing, and we're all playing well. If it takes me and Kyle both playing to win an ACC championship, me and Kyle both want that. We want what's best for the team. We both want to play and contribute, but the main goal is to win ballgames."

"Sometimes I'll get into a bind," he said. "Most of the times there's a pass broken up, it's because I'll throw a ball a fraction of a second late and it'll get broken up. I just want to make sure I've got perfect footwork and I'm throwing everything on time."

"I knew I had put the time in, and I knew I had been throwing really well the second half of the summer," he said. "I felt confident going into it; I was just trying to be a little too fine, a little too perfect, instead of just gripping it and ripping it and letting the chips fall."

Now Parker:

"I would like for a decision to be made, but I don't see one coming pretty soon," he said.

"The biggest thing is just getting reps with a different group of guys every time, and you don't really get to settle down," he said. "You don't know which lineman is going to be where, which receiver is going to be where. It's kind of different, but it's something we have to deal with. And Willy has to deal with it, too. The better we handle it, the better we'll be."

Parker says his rhythm is disrupted when he's "just going out and then having to come back in every time."

"It's not like you know you're going to be in with the same group for eight plays," he said. "It's kind of hard to get in a rhythm and get used to the speed of the game when you're getting thrown back and forth. That's probably the toughest thing.

Parker commented that he doesnt believe a starter will be named until MTSU game-week.

"Of course we're both wanting to start, and we both need to know the decision (soon), ideally," he said. "But if they can't make their decisions, then we can't press them to make them. We're just going to have to go in and handle what they throw at us. … It's pretty tough coming home and not knowing: 'Man, what's going to happen tomorrow? How many reps am I going to get with this group and that group?'

"But it's something I'm not really worried about. I'm just going to worry about the little things that I can do to make myself better. I guess as long as I focus on that, I feel like I'm on a good route."

Parker completed eight of 18 passes for 97 yards and a TD Tuesday. Korn went 4-of-9 for 41 yards with an INT, and Tajh Boyd drew praise from Billy Napier after passing for 70 yards on a 7-of-10 clip with an interception.

3 comments:

I would like to get the honest perspective from Wade, because I think he probably has a better idea of who will start than anyone, other than the coaches, who are not going to say. I think they need to name a starter in the next week so that we can establish some continuity, but I also think they need to give both Willy and Kyle some playing time with the first string offense.

That is not a bad idea, Rob. I want the best player to play, but there is going to be a lot of unrest in the upstate if Willy never gets a legit chance to win the job on the field. IPTAY meetings would end up being like the townhall meetings they are having right now.